you can lose signal with any size of dish. Its the band that Directv (and Dish) are using that depends. With KU Band (as this is) the larger the dish and as peaked the best, the less rain fade you'll have.
I've had D* for a year now and have lost signal twice (well actually 3 times)...once during a torrential thunderstorm, once when we had a really freak snowstorm (it was that concrete snow). Dark heavy clouds to the south will kill a signal quicker than a rain storm. The snowstorm was like that. Really heavy wet snow
The 3rd time? When the power went out due to blowing a transformer during that snowstorm
I've had D* for a year now and have lost signal twice (well actually 3 times)...once during a torrential thunderstorm, once when we had a really freak snowstorm (it was that concrete snow). Dark heavy clouds to the south will kill a signal quicker than a rain storm. The snowstorm was like that. Really heavy wet snow
The 3rd time? When the power went out due to blowing a transformer during that snowstorm